Incubator construction



Sept. 26, 1933. A. v. RAcKsTRAw 1,927,994

INGUBATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed April 2.3, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WF .Z

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Sept. 26, 1933. A. v. RAcKsTRAw 1,927,994

INCUBATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed April 23, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l j I Patented Sept. 26, 1933 a. INcUA'roR CONSTRUCTION Albert V. RackstramGa'rdena, Calif. Y Application Api-i1 23, 1930. seriplvivp. 446.556

' I 4 claims. (C1. 11s-37) This invention relates to the construction of cabinet type electric incubators.

' An object of the invention is to provide an incubator construction vwherein the ventilation will be secured in a more uniform and dependable manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for producing a stabilized properly heated air current which will be circulated through the'egg trays of the incubator in such a manner as to produce a dependable even heat of the required temperature. This object is carried out by means of an improved construction and arrangement of partitions Within the casing and a novel arrangement'of air ilues to distribute the air in an improved manner after it passes through the fan or blower which 'is provided to keep the vair in circulation and to secure a proper ventilation within the incubator.

Still another object of the invention is to provide for assembling a plurality of cooperating incubator units in an improved manner so that the fans or blowers which circulate the air within each incubator unit may all be driven by'a single motor; and the incubator units are joined to each other in such a manner that heat radiation through the walls of the casing of each unit is reduced and the cost of ykeeping the temperature of each unit up to the required amount is thereby` lessened.

' Other objects are to, in general, improve upon and simplify the internal construction of the incubator.

Still other objects, advantages and features of invention may hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate what is at present deemedA to be a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a front end elevation of one of the incubator units including also a fragment of an adjacent cooperating incubator unit. f, y

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the incubator units. l

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the incubator units.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental side elevation of parts of the lower water pan and air circulating device.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

. Fig. '7 is a vertical section on irregularv line 7-7 of Fig. 3. A `V Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 8-8 of Fig. 3. ,f

Fig. 9 is a vertical `sectionon irregularzline y 9-9ofFig.3.

Fig.V 10 is a fragmental line 10-10 of Figbl.V f.

1 Fig. 11 isa fragmental sectionalxview.onr line 11-11 of Fig. 8. v y y l; Referringin detail to the drawings, each in c ubator unit 7 is preferably formed as a"rec-, tangular compartmenthaving .side wallsV -9 vthe rear end WalllO andia front end VWall 11, the

transverse section on latter wall beingprovided with a door` 12 whichV alfords access to theinterior of4 that incubator y unit.

Within each incubatorunit inspaced relation.' y

to each of its side walls 9-i`simounted a vertical partition 15 which extends from endtoxend ofl the incubatorgunit but which does not extend all the wayV to either the top or vbottom of the chamber of such incubator unit. To the inner face of eachv partition 15 is secured a series of horizontal verticallyfspaced cleats 17 upon which rest the incubator trays 18. Saidv incubator .trays 18v are ofthe open mesh or `screen type .in order .to permit the air1 to circulate freely through theirbottom portions.

i Below this series of trays r18 is located an upper water pan 20 and a'lower water. pan 21, these water pans being placed one above theY other in spaced relation to each other. l pan 20 is supported :by the lowestfpair of cleats designated 17m-'said water pan extending :from end to end of the cabinet vbut having each of itslong sides spacedaway from the adjacent side of the cabinet in order to provide an air space at that place. YThe ylower water pan 21`-is much smaller than theupper waterpan 20. and is positioned at the mid-widthofathe cabinet oor with its long sidesparallel to the iend wallsvv of the cabinet. yThe-length of said: Water pan 21 is somewhat less than the width ofthe cabinet chamber and an equal Aspace is' provided between each end of this water pan and the adjacent side of the cabinet. The upper AWater pan 20 islo.- cated immediately above a restricted air space which intervenes between the same* andthe blower 37. i 1 1 A well known type of electrical resistance heater bars are supported in a cross-wise manner 'upon the opposite `side walls of the lower water pan 21 near each end thereof. These heaters are *suppv 105 The upper water plied. withelectric currents by means of conductors 31 and 32. Owing to theirelongated characf ter and to the fact that they extend approximate-y ly tangentially to theirotary heater andat right angles to the plane through whichthe shaft' ofv Y said heater extends, anr effective transference of the heat is secured.

` down to a point spaced somewhat away from the floor thereof, preferably a little above the level [of Fig. 1, the incubator is provided with a thermo with a plate or -wall member 66 which` is Ylikewise Each end of the lower water pan 2.1 is provided with a standard 35 and between and upon these standards is supported the driving shaft 3,6 of a rotary fan or blower 37.` To said shaft 36 ofthe blower are secured, between said standards 35 the heads 40, said heads being spaced apart a suitable distance longitudinally of said shaft 36.' Said heads carrybetween them thel elongated auxiliary fan blades 41 upon the central portions of which are formed the set of annular plates 44 which are equally spaced apart from each other as shown,

Said annular plates 44 are of greater external diameter than the portions of the fan construction at eachside of them, andare'mounted upon the hub portion 46 of the rotary structure by means of radially extending blades 47 four of-'which are il-f lustrated'. Between these blades 47, webs 48 com nect the annular discs as shown, said webs constituting additional fan elements which increase` the action of the fan upon the air. 1 Y

l The Irotary. structurelconsists of the heads 40, auxiliary plates 41, annular plates 44 and webs 48 which may all be formed as a single casting if desired, but the invention is not limited :to thus constructing the rotary structure which produces the .air currents within the cabinet.

Describing now more fully the means for guiding and controlling the air currents within the cabinet, to produce the required change of air, an'

is drawn in'thro'ugh the .two small .verticalintake tubes 50 one of which is located near each side of the cabinet preferably at the mid-length thereof.

Y The tubes 50 lead from the top'of the cabinet of the space occupied by the previouslymentioned Small outlet air vents 53- are also provided, said vents being preferably located at about the mid-width of the cabinetandata distance from the ends thereof as shown in Fig. 3.

The bottom water pan 21 extends transversely across the iioor of the cabinet along the mid-width thereof, a wide space being left between each end wall of the cabinet and the adjacent side of said Water pan. The upper water pan.20,is larger vthan'the water pan 21 and preferably extends the complete length of the unit as well shown, a clear air space 25 being left between each long side" of saidV water pan and the adjacent wall .of the cabinetl 0n the floor of said cabinet at each side of the lower water pan 21, a flue or airrguide 57 is provided which leads from the central portion of said water pan diagonally out to a cornerzportion of the cabinet, said fines or guides are eachl formed by and between the shortlstripsor plates 59. at one side yand the angular plates 60 at the other side thereof. This arrangement is duplicated at each side of the lower water pan 21, it being understood that these flues are confined tothe 'space between the lower pan. 21 and the upper `water pan20.

`At one end of each cabinet, at both corners thereofyflues 63 are provided to direct the air upwardly. vThe lower portion of each of said flues is v walled oif at one side by the vertical plate orv wall member64'above which the flue wall iscontinued by means of a plate 65:1: which is inclined toward.

the oppositeendof the cabinet. At thek other end of fluei63'the upper portion thereof Vis provided out the ascending airover one `side portion of rents being indicated by arrows in all the main Views of the drawings.

Describingl brieiiy the electrical connections, current' is supplied from the feed wires 70 and 71. The feed wire isA provided with a'branch 72 which passes through the switch box 73 and.' supplies lcurrent to the motor M, while the iinewire 7-1 is provided with a branch 74 which also passes through the switch box 73, said branch '74 compieting the circuit ,through the motor. .The line wire 70 lisprovided with a branch 75 which, in conjunction with the conductors 31' and 32 completes a circuit through the heaters.

Thethermostat 65 is includedrin the latter cir-` cuit and automatically maintains the proper temperature within the incubator.

t will be seen that the circuitsdescribedwiil keep the motor M running continuously but` will permit the thermostat 85v to interrupt the cui-, rentas frequently as may be necessaryto keep the heat within the cabinet down to the proper degree'for incubating the eggs. 65. designates the circuit intercepting r.structure,which `is op erated by the thermostat 85. x

'1n orderthat a pluralityof units 7 may be op erated by a single motor M, a series of the shafts 36 are aligned with eachother and coupled together Aat .their ends by coupling devices 36a. By placing these cabinets in a row in contactrwith each other space is conserved and also the heat generated'l is economized. y

VAs' conventionally shown in the upper portion stat 85 and a thermometer 36. A glass covered .peep hole 87 is also' shownin the upper portion of the casing. f 1 l The fan or vblower 3.7, 'fromthe viewpoint of Figs. 3 and 4,'moves the air tothe left hand cor--V vl. In an incubator, a cabinet,a moisture pan within the space enclosed by said cabinet,'a series of egg trays positionedwithin the space enclosed by said cabinet above said moisture pan, ka ro-'- tary blower, means carriedbyfsaid moisture pan to support said kblower thereabove, an electric heating element also mounted upon saidmoisture pan, said heating element being supported'by side walls of said pan, said heating element lbeing iso located between saidV pan and said blower, and

meansto rotate said blower'about ahorizontal axis above said pan, said heating` element comprisingresistance bars which extend at substantially right angles to the plane of the axis of rotation of said blower.

2. In an incubator, a substantially rectangular cabinet havingupstanding side walls, a. plurality of superposed egg trays mounted within said cabinet, an 'electric blowersmounted upon the central portion'of the iloor` of -said'cabinet, a pair. ofair inlet guides rconstructed and arranged to conduct air from the corner portions of one side .of the cabinet to points adjacent-to said blower,.diagonal air guides at the otherside of the blower to conductV the lair from the blower to corner portions of the cabinet adjacent .the

iioor thereof, and means to rotate said blower to entrain air through the rst recited air guides and to create air currents outwardly from the central floor portion of the cabinet between the last recited air guides, thence upwardly and back to the first recited air guides.

3. In an incubator, a cabinet substantially rectangular in plan and having vertical walls, a series of superposed egg trays mounted in said cabinet, an electric rotary blower mounted in said cabinet beneath said egg trays, air inlets to conduct the air into the lower portion of said cabinet, said blower being mounted upon a substantially horizontal shaft and being rotatable in a direction to propel the air from said inlets and from one wall of the cabinet toward the opposite wall thereof, and air flues to cause the air currents created by said blower to diverge towards the opposite corners of said cabinet as they leave said blower, the upper portion of said air flues being deected from the vertical in order to direct the air fromv said lues toward the interior of the cabinet. l

4. In an incubator, a cabinet, a series of superposed egg trays mounted in said cabinet, arotary blower positioned to circulate air through approximately tangentially of the rotary blower,

and an open-topped moisture pan upon vwhich said resistance elements are supported, there being a relatively large air space at the lower side of the blower and a more restricted air space at the upper side thereof and above the path traversed by the rotary elements of said blower whereby a greater volume of air is entrained through said relatively large space than passes the blower through said restricted space.

ALBERT V. RACKSTRAW. 

